By Khalida Sarwari
In London, it turned 30 years old this year and in New York, it’s just a few years shy of turning 30.
Some would argue a small facelift was in order for “Phantom of the Opera,” a perennial favorite of theater aficionados the world over since its 1986 stage premiere in London’s West End theatre. And with Laurence Connor at the helm, that’s what it received.
While fans of the original production can still find it playing in the Majestic Theatre on Broadway–where it has the honor of being the longest-running show in history–those open to a different interpretation of the show will find it at San Jose’s Center for the Performing Arts from Sept. 15 through Oct. 2.
Based on the novel, “Le Fantôme de L’Opéra” by Gaston Leroux, Phantom tells the story of a masked figure who lurks beneath the catacombs of the Paris Opera House, terrorizing those who inhabit it. He falls madly in love with a young soprano named Christine Daae (played by Kaitlyn Davis) and enacts a plan to keep her by his side, while Christine falls for arts benefactor Raoul instead.
Connor’s interpretation will have the same score by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Maria Björnson’s costumes and elements of escapism, romance, spectacle and danger that has kept audiences returning to the musical time and again, but what’s different are the set designs and Connor’s approach, according to associate director Seth Sklar-Heyn.
“With regards to the environment that the story takes place in, it’s a completely new take on the Paris Opera House,” he said. “Whereas in the original production it’s very stylized, we take [the audience] throughout the Paris Opera House; we try to bring them through all the nooks and crannies of where the buildings are set.”
The direction, too, has changed, said Sklar-Heyn, a New York-based producer who also serves as a production supervisor on the Broadway version of Phantom. For one, the Phantom, a role in which an older man is typically cast, is played by 34-year-old Chris Mann, who rose to fame after appearing on NBC’s The Voice in 2012. That was a deliberate move on the part of the show’s creative team, who wanted to enhance the love triangle between Christine and the two leading men.
“One of [Connor’s] goals with our show was to make the love triangle closer in age, so the decision–when Christine has to choose between the two men–is much harder,” said Mann. “I think it’s extremely exciting. It certainly has a lot more energy with the redirection that Laurence has given it. It’s definitely a more exciting show in my opinion.”
Mann leads a 52-member cast and orchestra ensemble, but not for long. He said the Fresno engagement following San Jose’s two-and-a-half week run would be his last. After two years of touring for the show, he plans to take a vacation–most likely to Nashville with his wife–and then prepare for a concert tour for his new album, “Constellation,” which was released this May. For now, he’s looking forward to returning to California and indulging in “great food and great wine.”
“I live in Los Angeles, so I’m excited to be on the West Coast,” he said. “I love San Jose; I love Northern California as well.”
The tour originated in the United Kingdom in 2012 and made its U.S. premiere the following year, featuring a new American cast. The show is directed by Connor, who co-directed the new production of Les Misérables currently running on Broadway and around the world, as well as the award-winning new London production of Miss Saigon and the stage version of the movie School of Rock now playing at Broadway’s Winter Garden. The show is produced by Cameron Mackintosh, with choreography by Scott Ambler and set design by Paul Brown.
Sklar-Heyn, who works for Mackintosh, attributed his own affinity to the show to it being the first he was involved in having grown up in New York. But, there’s a lot that the new production offers its audiences, he said.
“A lot of people say, ‘why would you do a new production of something that’s still running, something that’s still successful?’ ” he said. “But, there comes a time after almost 30 years of production playing that new creative teams and new performers and new artists should have the opportunity to look at the story in a different way and introduce the story in a different way to new audiences.”
The San Jose engagement is presented as part of Broadway San Jose’s 2016-17 season.
Phantom runs Sept. 15-Oct. 2 at the Center for the Performing Arts, 255 Almaden Blvd. in San Jose. To purchase tickets, which start at $38, visit ticketmaster.com, call 800.982.ARTS or visit the City National Civic box office at 150 W. San Carlos St., San Jose.
For more information about the show, visit thephantomoftheopera.com/ustour.
Link:
San Jose: ‘Phantom of the Opera’ comes to Center for the Performing Arts on Sept. 15
